What a Girl Wants
by Ruby Pen
Summary: As if getting dumped in the middle of no where wasn't enough, I now have to go on a stupid quest with a bunch of guys to destroy a possessed wedding band that everyone is killing themselves for. Lucky me. LegolasXOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, this is Ruby! I've finally decided to use my page for what it was intended for: stories. So, this is a story I've had bouncing around in my head for at least a year and after seeing Genie post her stories ( and having her kick me in the butt hard enough), I've now started 'What a Girl Wants'.**

**Enjoy!**

_Chapter One_

Ugh… my head. Oh why do I feel like I was hit by a bus? Why can't I remember? Wait . . .

Little snippets of memories started flashing through my mind. Slamming the front door, Mom screaming at me for being an ungrateful bitch, going to see Ellie, a Hummer careening out of control . . .

I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts, immediately regretting it when a stabbing pain lances through my head. The last thing I want to think about is my mom. As far as I'm concerned, if I never see her again I'll be all too happy! But first things first. I need to find out where I am and how bad my injuries are.

I opened my eyes, only to immediately snap them shut again. The sun was shining directly into my eyes. Wait, SUN? My eyes shot open again. I was just hit by a car, I should be in a hospital recovering. Come to think of it I should be in terrible agony, but instead I feel like I just got a great night's sleep. Well, minus the throbbing headache.

But instead of waking up in a hospital hooked up to a bunch of machines, I'm lying on my back on a dirt road in a forest. What the hell? I look around to try to make sense of some of this. The dirt path I was on stretched on for miles in front and behind me with tall, dark trees on either side. The bright sun filtered between the leaves creating a pretty light display on the forest floor.

I shook my head again, completely dumbfounded. How is this possible? I got hit by a freakin' Hummer. I should be in a coma. Or dead. Not in the woods in the middle of nowhere, miles from any civilization wearing a hooded cloak.

Wait a minute!

I looked down at my clothes again. The tank top and shorts I had been wearing were nowhere in sight. Instead I had on what looked like a long shirt— a tunic, I think— which was a light green, a pair of brown leggings, the previously mentioned darker green cloak, and a nice pair of soft-skinned boots. Surprisingly comfortable, too.

Ok I'm officially crazy. I fight to control my breathing to keep from hyperventilating. Hey, don't judge me. I dare you to get hit by a car and wake up in the middle of the woods, wearing something completely different from what you were wearing before and see how you react. No takers? Ok then.

Ok, Andrea, let's take a minute to think things through. Well, I'm definitely not gonna get any answers sitting here. And I've gotta find some form of shelter before it gets dark. So I guess there's only one choice. I gotta find a town somewhere.

I get up and stretch my arms out. No time like the present, I guess. I take a step . . .only to trip and fall flat on my face. After taking the time to spit my hair out of my mouth, I look over my shoulder to see what caused my fall. It was a long stick— a walking stick, I corrected myself— and a very beautiful one. It was tall, about as tall as me, so a little over five feet. And a nice light color, probably oak. Hey, I don't know where this came from, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. Any help is great help. So with my staff in hand, I set off down the road wondering where I'd go from here.

_Several hours later_

Ok, walking to find a town in the middle of nowhere. WORST. DECISION. EVER! My feet are killing me, my head still feels like it was used as a football, and my stomach feels like it's gonna eat itself if I don't eat something soon. I swear, if I don't find a town soon, I'm gonna kill something.

Oh look, a town! Not a moment too soon, either. Rain began pounding down on the dirt road. I sprinted towards the town, desperate to get somewhere dry.

By the time I reached the town's gates, I was _soaked_! I felt a little intimidated by the large wall that surrounded the town and by the looming gate in front of me.

Unsure of what to do, I knocked loudly on the gate. A grizzly looking gatekeeper with matted silver hair opened up a panel that allowed him to see whomever knocked. His beady eyes settled on me. With the way he looked, you would've thought that he would have the voice of a chain-smoker or maybe a wrestler, but what his sounded like, shocked the crap out of me.

"What do ya want?" He asked. His voice reminded me of a squeak toy that was trying to function correctly, but failing miserably.

"I...uh...need a place to stay for the night." I said, still distracted by his bizarre voice.

"No strangers allowed." He squeaked.

Okay, that didn't work. Let's try the desperate approach.

I willed my eyes to tear up and looked pleadingly at the gatekeeper. "Please, sir. I've...I've been separated from...from my family a-a-and I've been walking all day. C-can I please come in?" I "cried".

"Alrigh', alright'. I'm not heartless. Go on in." The gatekeeper swugn the door open just enough for me to walk through.

"Th-thank you, sir!" Once I was out of earshot, I started chuckling. And my mom said I wasn't a good actress.

There were only a handfull of people outside at this point and only two of them paid me any mind. I searched the buildings, hoping one would lok even remotely familiar. No such luck.

I could clearly make out a stable, and a blacksmith, and... an inn! I surged forward, new energy filling me, propelling me towards the shelter.

I burst through the inn's door, a bit too loudly, and caused most of the patrons (that weren't drunk off their feet) to turn towards me. I ducked my head and tried to call as little attention to myself as possible. My auburn hair was plastered to my face from the rain and my clothes were soaked completely.

I walked quietly up to what I assumed to be the front desk and cleared my throat politely. The man behind the counter looked down at me.

"I'd...I'd like a room." I said.

"Payment upfront, then you get the room." He said, staring me down. I felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

Money. Damn! Maybe I could bluff my way through lke I did earlier.

"I haven't got any money, but could I just stay for one night? That's all I ask." I pleaded, giving him my best pout.

"Payment first." He repeated. "No money, no room." He turned away from me.

I opened my mouth to protest, to plead, to get him to agree to let me stay just one night, when a handful of small coins clattered onto the counter.

"Will this be enough for the lady's room?" A cloaked stranger asked from beneath his grey hood.

"Y-yes sir. This will be plenty." The innkeeper stammered, scooping up the coins. He stammered something else, but my attention was still on the mysterious stranger. Who was he? And why did he pay for my room?

I watched him as he settled into a plain wooden chair in a dark corner of the room. If I hadn't been watching him, I might not have seen him at all.

Feeling a bit bold, I began walking towards him. Little did I know that this simple action would start my journey to find what I've always wanted. A family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally! Here it is! The second chapter! Sorry it took so long to get it out, but I had massive writer's block. I know how I want all this to go, but it's just a matter of getting it from my head and onto paper. Damn, this thing was a beast to write. Hope you like it and hope it was worth the long wait.**

_Chapter Two_

Okay, Andrea, there's no need to be nervous. He's a perfectly normal guy . . . who happens to be wearing a hooded cloak . . . and just happened to walk up and pay for your room with a bunch of weird coins even though you've never seen him before in your life. Yeah, nothing to be nervous about.

I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I mean alright I know why I _should_ be

—stranger danger and all that—but despite how dark and imposing he looks, I can't help but think he won't hurt me. Call it woman's intuition or a gut feeling; I know I'm right. And besides, if he had wanted to hurt me, wouldn't he have done so instead of paying for my room?

Comforted by that thought, I walked the rest of the way to his spot by the fireplace where he was smoking a pipe. I couldn't tell if he saw me cause his cowl was obscuring his face, so I cleared my throat a bit. He sharply turned his head in my direction. Well, if he didn't see me before, he certainly does now.

Come on, Andi, you had something to say to him, so say it!

"Umm hi."

Not what I meant.

"Uhh. . . I just wanted to say thank you. For helping me back there. Not many people would have, and you didn't have to. So thank you." He didn't say anything, just continued to smoke his pipe. I started to walk away, feeling very awkward.

"Why are you here?"

The voice startled me, but after a second I turned back."What?"

"I said why are you here?" he said looking expectantly at me from over his pipe.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're a young woman travelling alone with no money and you are clearly not from around here," he stated.

"And how do you know that I'm not?"

"Your accent is like none I've ever heard before. What is your name?"

"Andrea."

He cocked his head to the side. "Andrea? That's an unusual name."

"Unusual? In what way?" I asked slightly offended. "Where I come from, it's actually a very common name."

"And where are you from?" he asked, cocking his head to the side slightly. "You dress like someone from around here, but, as I stated earlier, your accent is unfamiliar to me."

"Well to be honest, I'm not even sure _where_ I am or _how _I got here and…wait a minute! Why am I even telling you this?! I don't even know your name!" I exclaimed heatedly.

"Strider."

"Strider? Really?" And he was making fun of _my _name?

"You may call me Strider." He elaborated, giving me a look that said I should just go with it.

"Alright…Strider? What are you doing here?"

"I heard talk that the wizard Gandalf was in the area." He said, quietly as if he didn't want to be overheard.

Okay? Was that supposed to be some sort of code? Wizards don't exist, and what kind of name is Gandalf anyway?

"Who's Gandalf?" I questioned.

He looked surprised, as if I should already _know_ who Gandalf was. I just kept a neutral expression on my face, still waiting for an answer.

Strider continued to stare at me for at least another minute before deciding to finally speak. "Gandalf is a wizard of great power and wisdom. He also happens to be an old and very close friend of mine"

I choked back an unladylike snort, settling for a disbelieving look. "And…why are you meeting him here? Hope he'll grant you three wishes?"

Strider's face hardened into an unreadable mask. "He can't grant wishes any more than I can wear a dress."

The mental image that came after his sentence caused a small giggle to erupt from my lips. "Well, why are you waiting for him here in this dingy inn of all places?" I waved a hand at the room. "Seems a bit crowded if you ask me."

"I'm not meeting him here. Gandalf doesn't even know that I'm waiting for him. I'm here because _The Prancing Pony _is the best place to pick up on information and rumors." He seemed to be contemplating telling me more, but thought better of it and went back to smoking his pipe.

But I wasn't about to let it go that easily.

"What information? Rumors about what?" I probed.

"Rumors of Sauron's forces and their quickly increasing numbers," He answered grimly. Why do I get the feeling that Sauron wasn't good news? And why did he sound like an evil spice?

"Who's Sauron?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Strider shot me another look that screamed "You've _got_ to be kidding me!" He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second. "You really aren't from around here. Either that or you've lost your memory."

Now I was starting to get ticked off with this guy's attitude. "Well, excuse me for asking a simple question," I snapped.

He sighed. "It may be a simple question, but it doesn't have a simple answer. You—" he trailed off, staring at something behind me.

I turned completely around in my seat and saw four midgets walking in. Three of them had reddish blonde hair, while the other's was a deep brown, nearly black. He was currently talking to the innkeeper about something; prices for rooms would be my guess. Judging from the looks on their faces, it didn't seem like the innkeeper gave them good news.

"Hmm, that's interesting," I heard from Strider's direction. I looked and he was watching the newcomers with an intense look on his face.

"What?"

He pointed with his pipe in their direction. "The Hobbits. It's unusual for them to travel outside of the Shire"

Ok, none of what he just said made any sense to me. "Ok, I know you're getting tired of me asking questions, but what are Hobbits and what is the Shire?"

"Hobbits are one of the races of Middle Earth and the Shire is their home. I have never been there myself, but Gandalf has told me it is quite peaceful."

"Wait a minute. Races? You mean humans aren't the only intelligent life forms here?" I questioned.

He gave me a long tired look."If you mean the race of Men, then, yes." he said as if he were talking to a very stupid person.

"But you said 'races' as in more than one. What others are out there?"

"Well, there are Hobbits, as you know, that are small, peaceful folk as well as the Elves that are immortal. And the Dwarves that live in the deep mountains that are known for their skills in weapon crafting and their love of a good feast," his face clouded over suddenly. "Then there are the more vicious races like the Orcs. Bloodthirsty and cruel beasts that feast on the flesh of Men and Elves alike. Occasionally Dwarves as well, but I imagine dirt and ashes don't taste very good." Strider said with a wry chuckle.

I don't know what frightened me more. The Orcs he described or the way he laughed at their diet. I sat back in my seat, trying to process this. I mean, just this morning, I woke up hating my life and wanting nothing more than to get away from my..._mother_, and now, I'm in this strange place with not just humans, but Elves, Dwarves, _Orcs_! For the first time since I woke up here, I started to think that maybe I was in over my head here. Either that or I was on drugs.

A sudden crash breaks me out of my thoughts, and I whip my head around in time to see the dark haired midget...uh, Hobbit crash to the ground, spilling ale and food all over the floor. I noticed a small flash of gold glinting in the air, falling towards the Hobbit's outstretched hand. Just as I thought he was going to catch it, he vanished!

What the Crap?!

My eyes must have doubled in size as I stared at the floor where he used to be. Did that really just happen? "Did you see tha-" I began to ask Strider, but when I turned around, he wasn't in his seat anymore. I started looking around, trying to find him. Hey, don't judge me! He's the only person around here that I even remotely know. I finally spotted him dragging the dark haired Hobbit up the stairs.

What the hell is going on?

I shot out of my seat and up the stairs after them. I may not know him well, but he's the best chance I've got at ever making heads or tails of this place. Once at the top of the stairs, I saw him vanish into one of the rooms, closing the door behind him. No way in hell was I letting him get away that easily.

I bolted into the room in time to hear Strider speaking to the dark haired Hobbit. "I can avoid being seen if I wish, but to disappear entirely, that is a rare gift." As he spoke, Strider pulled back his hood, revealing his face for the first time.

Damn. He was pretty good looking. Not my type, maybe a bit too scruffy, but still...

"Who are you?" the Hobbit questioned.

"Are you frightened?" Strider asked coolly.

"Yes," he answered.

"Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you." He suddenly swung his sword towards the door just as it burst open, revealing the other three Hobbits. One brandished a candelabra with lit candles, one hoisted a chair over his head, and the third just had his fists at the ready.

"Let him go or I'll have you, Longshanks!" The weaponless one shouted. What the hell? I had a feeling I'd be saying that a lot.

Strider seemed to think they weren't much of a threat, because he sheathed his sword. "You have a stout heart, little Hobbit, but that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo," he said to the dark haired one."They are coming."

WHO?


	3. Author's Note

Wassup mah peeps! Ruby here! Sorry to say that this story sucks too much for me to continue so I'll be taking down this whole profile and deleting everything.

**Ruby: **Genie! What the hell are you doing?!

**...: **Who says I'm Genie?

**Ruby: **I know it's you. No one else has access to my account.

**Genie: **Fine, fine.

**Ruby: ***glares* As much as she pisses me off, there is an air of truth to what she says. Not in the "I'm deleting everything cause this story sucks" but that I won't be updating this story for a while. Sadly, my muse has left me stranded and I'm just lost. So no more WaGW chapters for a little while. I'm really, REALLY sorry!

But my muse has taken up residence in a land running rampant with little monsters called...POKEMON! The story is Ash/OC when they're older than 10 and it centers around a girl named Kaylee who has an affinity for Fire-Type.

So, stay tuned and be AMAZED!


End file.
